An Unlikely Success

While this is about shellac on drywall, it can apply to shellac on wood. About a year ago I determined to refinish my bathroom walls.

Removing the wallpaper - Steam does nothing when the wallpaper is vinyl. I got a perforating tool (looks like a computer mouse but with ferocious teeth) It makes small tears in the paper. Spray with water and wait, then peel and scrape. Lot of work.

Removing the wallpaper paste - Spray and scrub 3 or 4 times. Can still feel slippery spots. More work than removing the paper.

Seal the paste residue in place - Gave it a coat of shellac. Didn't want to use my good stuff, used some very old premixed stuff. Stunk like heck, took two days to dry, walls were very streaky with urine yellow gunk.

Drywall repairs - plaster and sand, rinse, repeat till flat.

Paint - with good SW paint, two coats. Replace trim (preprinted) and touch up.

Results - Worried about the shellac and paste. Eight months later it still looks great.

Good to know. Removing wallpaper was the last favorite thing I'ver ever done.

And this, kids, is why we never put up wallpaper.

Makes me wonder if I an easier path might be to knock out the existing wallboard and attached wall paper and then replace with new. Thanks for the info.

Shellac is a component in many stain-blocking primers and paints. It is a nearly universal barrier coat for incompatible finishes and I use it a fair amount. Always good to hear about a success. I have taken the road David mentions and just rip out and replace wall board as a grand solution to problem wall treatments.

Rip out the drywall? In a bathroom? That can't be easier. Let's see;

Electrical boxes to work around - same either way

Remove mirror and reinstall - added work

Remove and reinstall toilet - same

Demolish drywall - about the same as stripping and sealing

Install new drywall - added work

Remove and replace trim - same

Mud and tape new drywall - about the same as repairs

Paint - same

Well for a drywall installer it might not be a lot of extra work but my skills there are not at that level.

As Glenn said, classic Zinsser BIN is shellac with white pigment so it looks like paint. I know I’ve been through many gallons of that sealing old oil-based paint, trim that wasn’t primed properly the first time and had bleed-through, and various woodworking projects destined to be painted or sprayed white.

I’ve never liked painted wallpaper. But I think I’d go through the work of putting up new drywall, either demolish and replace or putting up the thin 1/4” if it made sense in the room.

Bruce